Ronaldo, Modric, Salah Nominated For Uefa Award

Surprise At Messi Absence

Image: Ruben Ortega

Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mo Salah have been nominated for the Uefa Player Of The Year Award. The winner will be presented with his award in Monaco on 30 August following the draw for the group stages of the Champions League.

The award recognises the best players, irrespective of nationality, playing for a club within the territory of a UEFA member association during the past season. Players are judged on their performances in domestic, continental and international competitions.

The three short-listed players were chosen from a panel of 135 coaches and journalists. The 80 coaches of sides in the group stages of the Champions League and Europa League were joined by 55 journalists – one from each of Uefa’s national associations. Each jury member made three nominations ranking the three in order.

Modric will be hoping to add to the Fifa Golden Ball award he won as the best player at the recent World Cup.

Salah was a runner-up in the Champions League Final with Liverpool and won numerous awards during his first season at Anfield.

Ronaldo won a record fifth Champions League medal with Real Madrid before moving to Juventus in June.

There is some surprise at Lionel Messi’s omission from the short-list. The Argentine was fifth in the placings – just behind Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid.

The rest of the top ten was made up of Kylian Mbappé of Paris Saint-Germain, Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City, Raphaël Varane of Real Madrid, Eden Hazard and Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid.